Health IT Now Executive Director Joel White today issued the following statement in strong support of the Veterans E-Health & Telemedicine Support (VETS) Act. The bill has been introduced in the House by Reps. Glenn Thompson and Julia Brownley and in the Senate by Senators Mazie Hirono and Joni Ernst. HITN sent a letter to Reps. Thompson and Brownley and well as Senators Hirono and Ernst supporting their efforts, noting the success of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) use of telehealth.

“The VETS Act takes commonsense steps to removing artificial barriers standing in the way of veterans’ access to health care. Reps. Thompson and Brownley and Senators Hirono and Ernst rightly recognize how technology and telehealth can alleviate geographic burdens on both patients and providers,” said White. “The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is a leader in the use of technology to expand access to quality care and reduce costs for veterans, and this bill will allow the VHA to continue to build upon their record of success by removing geographic barriers to the at-home use of telehealth. HITN looks forward to Congress advancing this bill and continuing to push the health care conversation into the 21st Century.”